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On this week's 9to5Mac Happy Hour, hosts Benjamin Mayo and Chance Miller discuss John Ternus's initial days leading Apple and speculate on Tim Cook's continued involvement. They also cover last-minute rumors ahead of the iPhone event, including possible Apple Watch Series 12 health features, and note that Apple TV subscription pricing has risen for the second consecutive year.
Ahead of next week's launch, rumors detail three advantages Apple's foldable iPhone Ultra will hold over the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: dual displays offering both larger and smaller screen options, a slimmer folded form that fits pockets more easily, and exclusive multitasking features in iOS 27 like side-by-side apps with drag-and-drop support.
A new Omdia research note on Apple's Mac and iPad roadmap states that plans for a 16.1- to 18-inch foldable MacBook have been scrapped. The device, previously described by analyst Mark Gurman as a priority for hardware engineering chief John Ternus, was rumored to combine iPad and Mac functionality with a screen as large as 20 inches.
Apple has scheduled its major fall event for September 9, where it is expected to introduce three new iPhone models—two iPhone 18 Pro variants and its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Ultra—alongside two Apple Watch models and updated AirPods 5. Rumors also suggest Apple could reveal new smart home products, including a long-rumored home hub with a display, while other devices may be held back for an October launch.
Hohem announced the Eyepic, a hybrid device combining a 4K/60fps wearable camera with a detachable three-axis gimbal for stabilized shooting. The camera can rotate its 2.5-inch touchscreen for cropless horizontal or vertical video, is waterproof to nearly 33 feet, and can be worn via lanyard, hat clip or magnetic mount. Hohem also revealed two new smartphone gimbals with Apple DockKit tracking and a multi-transmitter wireless mic system, though pricing and release dates remain unannounced.
A Chinese Weibo leaker known as Fried White Rice shared circuit board diagrams believed to relate to Apple's next A20 Pro chip, expected in iPhone 18 Pro models. Based on solder-ball placement, the leaker infers the chip keeps a 2+4 CPU core setup but increases small-core L2 cache to 8MB, and likely moves from six to seven GPU cores.
TrendForce reports that Apple's memory component costs for the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro will be almost four times higher in Q3 2026 than a year earlier. The firm expects Apple to absorb much of that increase rather than fully pass it to consumers, projecting only around a $100 price hike over the iPhone 17 Pro, while leaning more on Services revenue to cushion margins.
A beta build of iOS 27 reveals a feature called iPhone Handoff, spotted by a MacRumors forum member, that lets a primary iPhone and a secondary companion iPhone share a single cellular plan and phone number using dual eSIMs. Unlike existing Continuity tools that rely on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, this setup appears to work at the network level, so the companion device stays connected even if the main iPhone is off. The option is expected to appear under Settings > Cellular once it launches.
According to The Elec, Google is expected to adopt a dual ultra-thin glass (UTG) screen structure for the Pixel 12 Pro Fold's inner display, following a similar approach reportedly used in Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone. OPPO and vivo are also said to be moving toward this same structure for their next foldable devices.
9to5Mac released its September 2, 2026 Daily podcast episode, summarizing the day's top Apple stories including updates on the ongoing Apple versus OpenAI situation. The episode is distributed across platforms like Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Google Play, and is sponsored by the task-management app Stuff.
Amazon's 2026 Labor Day sale is now live with steep discounts across Apple products, including AirPods Pro 3 back down to $199, AirTag 2 as low as $20, and Apple Watch SE 3 hitting a $200 all-time low. Renewed iPhone 17 Pro units are discounted up to $290, while the newly launched M6 Mac mini and refurbished M5 MacBook Air configurations also see modest price cuts.
Korean outlet Money Today, citing tipster Jukan, claims Samsung plans to sell a Galaxy S27 Ultra variant powered by its in-house Exynos 2700 chip in select markets, alongside a Snapdragon version reserved mainly for the US. This would mark the first time since the Galaxy S22 Ultra that the top-tier Ultra model has shipped with an Exynos processor, with the same dual-chip split reportedly extending to the new Galaxy S27 Pro model.